Stephen Hawking: 13 times art met science

From Pink Floyd to The Big Bang Theory and The Simpsons, take a look at some of the times the late Stephen Hawking popped up in popular culture.

14 March 2018

Stephen Hawking is the most famous genius of the modern age and has made numerous appearances on television and in songs and ads to back it up.

From Pink Floyd to The Big Bang Theory, take a look some of the times Professor Hawking popped up in popular culture.

Pink Floyd

Professor Hawking's electronic voice features in two Pink Floyd songs — Keep Talking and later Talkin' Hawkin. Both songs used a sample of Professor Hawking's voice from a British Telecom ad in which he proclaimed: "Mankind's greatest achievements have come about by talking and its greatest failures by not talking."

The Big Bang Theory

Sheldon's meeting with his hero doesn't turn out quite how he expected.

The Simpsons

Professor Hawking has made several appearances in the long-running animated series.

Futurama

It's no surprise then that he also makes several appearances in Simpsons creator Matt Groening's other animated series Futurama.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Professor Hawking appears on the holodeck playing poker with Data, Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton.

Little Britain

Professor Hawking appeared on the British comedy in 2015. He played himself and replaced Matt Lucas' character Andy in his motorised wheelchair.

"Despite being the most intelligent person on Earth, Stephen Hawking loved a good laugh," Little Britain star David Walliams said in the wake of his death.

Epic Rap Battles

Professor Hawking turns up again with Einstein, this time dropping truth bombs on Epic Rap Battles.

One Direction heartbreak

Just after Zayn Malik left One Direction, Professor Hawking was asked this at the Sydney Opera House: "What do you think is the cosmological effect of Zayn leaving One Direction and consequently breaking the hearts of millions of teenage girls across the world?".

His answer gives hope to even the most devastated Malik fan.

Hawking

Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the role in this 2004 BBC telemovie, dealing with Professor Hawking's time as a post-graduate at Cambridge University.

The Theory of Everything

Eddie Redmayne portrays Professor Hawking from the early 1960s to the 1980s.

Pee in the shower ad

In this public service announcement encouraging Brazilians to pee in the shower to save water, Professor Hawking is one of several famous (and infamous) people to make an appearance.

Shin Megami Tensei

This video game, and its sequel (pictured), feature a character based on Professor Hawking.

UK insurance ad

Professor Hawking finds an interesting use for his supermassive black hole, in this ad for a UK insurance firm.